Instrument Museum (page 5)

INSTRUMENT MUSEUM 12/23/97 Page 5 of 11
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Bunker Guitars
Since early in this century, inventors and luthiers have tried to improve the guitar. Some believe it should be left alone, and some are like Dave Bunker. Dave has dedicated his life to the belief that there is more to be discovered. His Touch-Guitar is the result of 6 patents and over 40 years of research. Some have called it “the grand piano of guitars.”

Since the early ’60’s, Dave Bunker has been working toward building the perfect musical instrument. The first to patent the headless guitar, the Tension-Free® Neck, Individual Through-the-Body Bridges®, Sound-Reflection Shields®, the Electro-Mute®, and the Touch-Guitar®, Dave holds the record - top billing for creative developments in touch-style instruments. In fact, Dave invented the word “touch-guitar.”

The Touch-Guitar combines features of guitar and bass, on separate necks, in fact was only the second stringed instrument ever to be granted a patent, and the first stringed instrument which can be played using two necks simultaneously. And because of the unique muting system which makes this possible, it opens up a complete new method of play.

The ‘Touch-Guitar’ –

The first specialty touch-style instrument, patent filed in 1958. The two necks are tuned like standard bass and guitar and are played by touch. The guitar neck is extra-wide, permitting easy fretwork in normal guitar position.

Switches on the left provide multiple EQ settings, and the frets are wired with Bunker’s patented “Electo-Mute” system which permits sound only when notes are fretted. Sweet super-clean tone.

The Touch-Guitar is only one of the innovative products of Bunker Guitars, but it’s probably the most of unique interest to touch-stylists. It’s built with individual low-impedance magnum pickups (20 of them!), active circuitry, and high, low, and bandpass filter switches, and therefore gives a wide range of sonic palettes. Dave says it can duplicate almost any known guitar sound.

His Electo-Mute system is built into the Touch-Guitar. This is a system whereby the frets are wired, and special circuitry which can then distinguish between a fretted note (intentional) and a ringing open string (woopsy!). (More details on Electro-Mute can be found in Bass Player magazine, August 1994.) The result is an amazing clear tone difficult to produce on any instrument relying on padding to deaden the open strings.

But that’s only part of the innovation. The instrument is unlike anything you’ve ever seen or heard. And hopefully, we’ll be seeing and hearing more of the Touch-Guitar.

For more pictures and descriptions of Bunker’s innovative instruments, visit his website address below. There you will also find information about early patents of touch-style instruments, early touch-style method books, and an informative history of the invention of two-handed tapping!

bunker guitars

17624 15th avenue s.e., suite 108a

mill creek, wa 98012

fax (425) 483-3829 voice (425) 483-1217

email: bunker@conceptsnet.com

http://www.conceptsnet.com/~bunker/
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The INSTRUMENT MUSEUM(TM) provides information about touch-style instruments. No endorsement implied by reason of a
listing appearing here. Instrument Museum is a trademark of, and all material copyright 1997 Action Marketing Corporation,
Nevada USA, which assumes no liability for accuracy or usage of these listings. Listing herein is free. To obtain or correct
a listing for an instrument, visit the Resource Center at www.traktor.com and select ‘Touch-Style Instruments.’